Would you consider a Retread (Recap) Tire?

[CapriRacer]

I feel the need to speak up.

Most tire debris you see on the highways is NOT a retread failure. If you see wire, it's not the retread that has failed. A retread failure would only have rubber.

Look at post #26 above for an example of NOT a retread failure. Post #28 IS a retread failure.

 

[supton]

We use them on drive axles and trailers. No huge problem with that, although it seems like 1 out of every 10 or so leaks.

No tubes? for dome reason i thought the big tires were still using tubes.

We started using them on our 2500 ram promasters for the rear (dead axle). They ride absolutely horrible. I try to spin balance them, and do get them to balance (typically with like 6oz weight per side of rim) but they still ride scarily bad. I had a guy come back to me immediately upon reaching normal road speeds, he thought I left his lugs loose.

Would balancing beads work instead?

 

[t1snwrbrdr12]

No tubes? for dome reason i thought the big tires were still using tubes.


Would balancing beads work instead?

No tubes. I’ve only had experience with big trucks the last 10 years but none of ours have tubes.

Balancing beads work on our 22.5s (we only throw them in new tires though..not recaps). They come in different sized packs corresponding to a range of wheel/tire sizes. It’s really hard for our parts guy to keep them in stock (our parts department really sucks) and next to impossible for him to get us the correct size packs for small tires. I suppose we could cut them open and estimate the correct amount, just throw the beads in loose, but that could also get messy and give us bead sealing issues.

 

[FordFocus]

I would not run a retread on a passenger or light truck vehicle. There are decent retreads for semi truck and trailers. Fun fact United States Postal Service runs retreads on some of their mail trucks in 14” and 15”.

 

[andrew_j]

They should be banned on all vehicles . They leave tire debris and hazard not if but when they fall apart.

 

[92saturnsl2]

I bought a set of Treadwright Warden load E retreads in 265/70/R17 8-9 years ago for my old '85 F-250 that was driven infrequently.

I liked their spiel about "good for planet, made in USA", also they had the walnut shell option which helped traction in adverse winter conditions (I lived in Colo at the time). I could have bought a new set of nice Cooper or other mid-range A/T tires for less than $100 more. But the tread pattern was very similar to the BFG K/02, which indeed was a lot more money. So I tried them.

200-300 miles later, I had a tread separation while doing 65-70mph which beat up the bed / rear fender above the tire pretty good and left nothing but the old carcass, which unbelievably still held air and allowed me to get home. The $1K+ body damage wasn't worth the $100 saved, I can tell you that.

Adding insult to injury, Treadwrights customer service was less than stellar. After several back-and-forth E-mails, they took their time getting me a replacement, which finally did arrive. Good thing this wasn't a daily driver. However, the replacement had visible holes in the sidewall where you could see the carcass underneath (this was a bead to bead remold). I took photos which I sent to them, and they sent ANOTHER replacement tire (let me keep the defective one which cost me money to recycle). After all that, they seemed to perform adequately.

But the experience completely soured my taste for retread/remold tires. Which is unfortunate because my parents always used studded retreads for winter tires in VT for our family car when I was a kid, and had nothing but good luck with them.

 

[ford250]

To many alligators on the roads as it is……So a NO for me

 

[PiperOne]

Used them for years on semi tires (22.5 rim) and no issues. All that "debris" on the side of the road, if you see ANY wire or sidewall it's a tire failure, not a retread failure. I'll take a twice re treaded Michelin or Bridgestone truck tire any tire over a new (bomb) from China.

Would I use retreads on cars and pickups......not sure. I'd sure want them from some place that did a ton of them if I did use them. Small tire spinning fast it would really need to be perfectly done.

 

[nthach]

Look at post #26 above for an example of NOT a retread failure. Post #28 IS a retread failure.

Does the retread process also play a factor? I’ve seen Bandag or Prince stamped into the tread of the local bus fleet tires on the rear/artic/tag axles and on UPS trucks. I think those are a “cold” process retread?

 

[SwampSurvivor]

I know a few guys locally running treadwrights on 1-ton trucks that get worked. No failures.

I've run a set of Treadwrights and two sets of Tirerecappers on my Jeep. The reasoning is, the cheaper the tire, the cheaper it is to replace when I take out a sidewall in the rocks. The treadwrights are higher quality for sure.

I did lose a tread block off of one of the Tirecapper tires, but that specific tire was recapped in 2012 or 2013 and this was in 2021. I had run that pair of tires with a newer pair since 2017 and never really aired them up. It had a lot of miles running down the highway at 15 PSI. It was also grooved down to the cords in a few spots so ...

With that said, Treadwright has kind of outgrown their britches so to speak. I can get a virgin Chinese tire for less money. That kinda ruins their appeal.

 

[CapriRacer]

Does the retread process also play a factor? I’ve seen Bandag or Prince stamped into the tread of the local bus fleet tires on the rear/artic/tag axles and on UPS trucks. I think those are a “cold” process retread?

"Cold process" is a bit of a misnomer, but that is what they call it. They apply an already cured and molded slab of tread, with a thin layer of uncured rubber underneath. That is heated and it bonds to the prepped tire. There isn't much heat involved, so the casing doesn't "age" much. This is very common for over-the-road truck tires.

 

[SeaJay]

Back in the day purchased a few sets of retreads.

 

[t1snwrbrdr12]

I think it’s been said here by a few that the cost difference doesn’t make the recaps even worth a thought anymore.

From what I remember (I could punch it in the computer tomorrow if i think about it) our recaps in 14s, 15s, and we have 16s as well, are all more money than our new tires. I was told we only do it for environmental reasons, not cost savings, but nobody really knows how decisions are made around our place.

 

[userfriendly]

Does the retread process also play a factor? I’ve seen Bandag or Prince stamped into the tread of the local bus fleet tires on the rear/artic/tag axles and on UPS trucks. I think those are a “cold” process retread?

A nail hole was missed on #28 when the case was inflated at the retread plant and a chunk of the tread blew off.
Warranty will cover that snafu.

I've done several Bandag BDRWs on light truck E rated tires that have 3-ply HD cases. New 27/32s (@210mm wide) directional tread, the case will age-out
before the tread wears out in moderate usage. Nothing better in deep snow in the mean time. Ignore the factory speed rating on the case and keep it below 120kms or 75 mph.

 

[FZ1]

https://www.bandag.com/en-us/retread-101/why-you-should-buy-retread-tires

https://www.tirerecappers.com/product-category/highway-tires/

Nope. I would prefer cheap new tires.

 

[CapriRacer]

I think I should point out that there is a difference between retreading an over-the-road truck tire and a passenger or LT tire. The former is quite common and very effective, where the latter is where the safety concerns are.

 

[64bawagon]

We werent allowed by law to run them on the trucks at work and I would never use them on any of my private vehicles but I think they do have a place in the trucking world. There was always a line of people wanting our 22.5's for cores since we wore through them quickly they were usually only a few years old.